Research

The research work within the team focuses on bringing healthcare solutions and addressing issues related to diseases that remain as a public health concern. Currently, the key areas of research interests are:

  • Tissue mechanics and the biomechanics of the diabetic foot
  • Evidence based musculo-skeletal clinical practice
  • Footwear biomechanics and use of innovative design and technology (comfort, athletic and clinical footwear)
  • Effective orthotic intervention, insoles and prescription footwear
  • Spinal biomechanics and aetiopathology of scoliosis

We resolve complex healthcare issues by breaking them into answerable research questions to expound the knowledge and understanding of the chosen field of interest. We strive towards effectively answering the research questions, drawing insights and bringing applicable solutions to various health problems. We employ a mixed methods approach, thereby, using both quantitative and qualitative research methods to address the research questions.

Our research on footwear aims at improving functionality and comfort for everyday and prescription footwear. Furthermore, our research on predicting the risk for diabetic foot ulcer aims to aid prevention of amputations, which imposes a major health and economic burden. The team has also made substantial contribution to
understand the aetiopathology of scoliosis and its conservative and surgical management. The current work in this area involves imaging modalities and image processing along with protocol development for kinematic assessment of the back and spine.

Postgraduate Outputs:

From completing the MSc Clinical Biomechanics our research has covered many areas of biomechanics with students leading topics as part of their dissertations. This has led to several publications and national/international conference presentations. Some of the projects have expanded the teams expertise and have helped us develop further research projects. A full list of dissertation outputs can be found here:

Publications

STORE (ePrints) is a digital archive of research and scholarly output produced by Staffordshire University staff and researchers. You can find our latest papers in this repository.

http://eprints.staffs.ac.uk/